Today we laid our amazing, larger than life grandmother to rest in a cloud of pink roses. Now she is back with her sweetheart, Harry.

Thank you for all the love and respect that you showed her in her late life role as your internet grandma. She took her advice-dispensing responsibilities very seriously and loved hearing from you.

If she were here today, we know that she would ask you not to cry for her passing, but to keep her memory alive by living your best life, a life full of love, friendship, music, adventure and delicious food, and not to worry about a few extra calories, because you’re worth it.

with love from her granddaughters,
Kim & Chinta

Barbara “Cutie” Cooper (1917 – 2016)

Today we laid our amazing, larger than life grandmother to rest in a cloud of pink roses. Now she is back with her sweetheart, Harry.

Thank you for all the love and respect that you showed her in her late life role as your internet grandma. She took her advice-dispensing responsibilities very seriously and loved hearing from you.

If she were here today, we know that she would ask you not to cry for her passing, but to keep her memory alive by living your best life, a life full of love, friendship, music, adventure and delicious food, and not to worry about a few extra calories, because you’re worth it.

with love from her granddaughters,
Kim & Chinta

]]>1977Fall In Love For Life ebook sale all through Februaryhttp://the-ogs.com/2015/02/01/fall-in-love-for-life-ebook-sale-all-through-february/
Sun, 01 Feb 2015 16:10:12 +0000http://www.ogswp.richardschave.com/blog/fall-in-love-for-life-ebook-sale-all-through-february/Continue reading "Fall In Love For Life ebook sale all through February"]]>

If you have been wanting to read my memoir, Fall in Love For Life, you are in luck. All through this most romantic month of February, the ebook edition is on sale for as little as $1.99.

Thank you to my publisher Chronicle Books for picking me for the Eye Candy promotion. It is an honor!

]]>2107“Fall in Love for Life” featured in “Yousho Best 500” (“500 best books written in English”)http://the-ogs.com/2014/04/29/fall-in-love-for-life-featured-in-yousho-best-500-500-best-books-written-in-english/
Tue, 29 Apr 2014 04:49:55 +0000http://www.ogswp.richardschave.com/blog/fall-in-love-for-life-featured-in-yousho-best-500-500-best-books-written-in-english/Continue reading "“Fall in Love for Life” featured in “Yousho Best 500” (“500 best books written in English”)"]]>I’m so honored to be featured in Yukari Watanabe’s new book, “Yousho Best 500” ( “500 best books written in English”) for the Japanese audience. I’m in great company with the classics “Pride and Prejudice” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” — and my grandchildren are impressed that Patti Smith’s “Just Kids” made the list, too.

Yukari was kind enough to send me a copy of her book, which you can see me enjoying here. Thank you, Yukari, and hello to all my new Japanese friends!

I’m so honored to be featured in Yukari Watanabe’s new book, “Yousho Best 500” ( “500 best books written in English”) for the Japanese audience. I’m in great company with the classics “Pride and Prejudice” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” — and my grandchildren are impressed that Patti Smith’s “Just Kids” made the list, too.

Yukari was kind enough to send me a copy of her book, which you can see me enjoying here. Thank you, Yukari, and hello to all my new Japanese friends!

I received your book for Christmas, and I must say that I absolutely LOVE it! Thank you very much for all of your wisdom. I enjoy your YouTube channel and the “Ask Cutie” section. You’re a very wise lady.

So, if you don’t mind, I need some grandmotherly advice (I lost my grandma three years ago).

According to your book, one of your tips is to find someone who your respected loved ones accept. Here’s my dilemma: my family denies everyone that I bring home.

I currently have someone (who lives with me) who I’ve been with for a while now. My family does not like him at all. He’s the only guy I’ve ever had who’s been good to me and loves me and takes great care of me. I have learned to ignore his slight flaws, but my family cannot look past them as I have.

What am I supposed to do? I feel like I am forced to choose my family or my future husband. My heart is torn.

signed,
In a Pickle

—

Dear In a Pickle,

I’m so glad that you liked my book.

I’m sorry to hear that you lost your grandmother recently. It is my honor to step in and offer some surrogate grandmotherly wisdom. Thank you for thinking of me.

You ask a question that many of us can relate to: how do you handle your family’s opinion about the way you live your life? In this case, how do you navigate your family’s opinions as they relate to a romantic relationship?

It sounds like you have a healthy attitude about your partner. No one is perfect, and in my opinion it is a great quality to be able to appreciate and accept someone despite their flaws.

That being said, I think there may be some value in considering your family’s concerns about this person. It can be very easy to disregard their opinions, especially if they are usually generous about sharing them, but they might be able to help you see something about your partner that you need to look at. It might help to pretend that it is not your family saying these things, but a good friend who has no agenda and only wants the best for you.

I’m not saying that your family is right about your partner. It is possible that they are very much off base. But I think when selecting something as significant as a future life partner that it would be worth your while to seriously consider their opinion before moving into such a serious commitment.

Let’s say you have honestly considered their concerns about your partner, and still feel that they are off base. In that case, I would encourage you to think about your dynamic with your family. I understand you feel that you have to make a choice between him and them, but it is possible that they may not see it that way. They might disapprove, but still want to have you (and even him) in their lives. It is hard to say because each family and each relationship is different, but there may be room to negotiate.

At the end of the day, it is your life and you get to do decide how you want to live it. But that also means that you get to live with the consequences of the choices that you make, and consequences can have a big impact.

I know that you did not me ask this question, but as your surrogate grandmother, I wanted to also mention that it is perfectly okay if you do have some reservations about your partner. You can love him and also feel that it is not right for you two to get married right now, or ever. You are entirely within your rights to ask for more time to make your decision, to make sure you are making the right one.

Looking back on my nearly 97 years of living, I can tell you that it is incredibly difficult to to break free from expectations, our own and those of other people. It is worth fighting through the discomfort to live the life that you know you should be living. The best way I know to be able to do that is to create judgment free zones in your life where you can start to figure this out. It may seem like there is a rush and that you have to make a decision today, but this is the rest of your life we are talking about. You have every right to proceed cautiously.

Good luck to you, my dear. I’m wishing you every happiness.

Love,
Cutie

Good evening, Miss Cutie!

I received your book for Christmas, and I must say that I absolutely LOVE it! Thank you very much for all of your wisdom. I enjoy your YouTube channel and the “Ask Cutie” section. You’re a very wise lady.

So, if you don’t mind, I need some grandmotherly advice (I lost my grandma three years ago).

According to your book, one of your tips is to find someone who your respected loved ones accept. Here’s my dilemma: my family denies everyone that I bring home.

I currently have someone (who lives with me) who I’ve been with for a while now. My family does not like him at all. He’s the only guy I’ve ever had who’s been good to me and loves me and takes great care of me. I have learned to ignore his slight flaws, but my family cannot look past them as I have.

What am I supposed to do? I feel like I am forced to choose my family or my future husband. My heart is torn.

signed,
In a Pickle

—

Dear In a Pickle,

I’m so glad that you liked my book.

I’m sorry to hear that you lost your grandmother recently. It is my honor to step in and offer some surrogate grandmotherly wisdom. Thank you for thinking of me.

You ask a question that many of us can relate to: how do you handle your family’s opinion about the way you live your life? In this case, how do you navigate your family’s opinions as they relate to a romantic relationship?

It sounds like you have a healthy attitude about your partner. No one is perfect, and in my opinion it is a great quality to be able to appreciate and accept someone despite their flaws.

That being said, I think there may be some value in considering your family’s concerns about this person. It can be very easy to disregard their opinions, especially if they are usually generous about sharing them, but they might be able to help you see something about your partner that you need to look at. It might help to pretend that it is not your family saying these things, but a good friend who has no agenda and only wants the best for you.

I’m not saying that your family is right about your partner. It is possible that they are very much off base. But I think when selecting something as significant as a future life partner that it would be worth your while to seriously consider their opinion before moving into such a serious commitment.

Let’s say you have honestly considered their concerns about your partner, and still feel that they are off base. In that case, I would encourage you to think about your dynamic with your family. I understand you feel that you have to make a choice between him and them, but it is possible that they may not see it that way. They might disapprove, but still want to have you (and even him) in their lives. It is hard to say because each family and each relationship is different, but there may be room to negotiate.

At the end of the day, it is your life and you get to do decide how you want to live it. But that also means that you get to live with the consequences of the choices that you make, and consequences can have a big impact.

I know that you did not me ask this question, but as your surrogate grandmother, I wanted to also mention that it is perfectly okay if you do have some reservations about your partner. You can love him and also feel that it is not right for you two to get married right now, or ever. You are entirely within your rights to ask for more time to make your decision, to make sure you are making the right one.

Looking back on my nearly 97 years of living, I can tell you that it is incredibly difficult to to break free from expectations, our own and those of other people. It is worth fighting through the discomfort to live the life that you know you should be living. The best way I know to be able to do that is to create judgment free zones in your life where you can start to figure this out. It may seem like there is a rush and that you have to make a decision today, but this is the rest of your life we are talking about. You have every right to proceed cautiously.

Good luck to you, my dear. I’m wishing you every happiness.

Love,
Cutie

]]>2104Mother at Workhttp://the-ogs.com/2014/01/14/mother-at-work/
Tue, 14 Jan 2014 08:04:03 +0000http://www.ogswp.richardschave.com/blog/mother-at-work/Continue reading "Mother at Work"]]>Here is a picture of my mother, Tina, taking a moment’s rest while working at the family shoe store. I’m surprised by how much I’ve grown to look like her.

Here is a picture of my mother, Tina, taking a moment’s rest while working at the family shoe store. I’m surprised by how much I’ve grown to look like her.
]]>2103Desert Decisionshttp://the-ogs.com/2014/01/09/desert-decisions/
Thu, 09 Jan 2014 06:57:25 +0000http://www.ogswp.richardschave.com/blog/desert-decisions/Thought you might enjoy this candid shot of me. I am trying to decide between Jello and chocolate cake. Yes, chocolate cake won. Chocolate cake always wins.

Thought you might enjoy this candid shot of me. I am trying to decide between Jello and chocolate cake. Yes, chocolate cake won. Chocolate cake always wins.
]]>2102I love Breadhttp://the-ogs.com/2014/01/07/i-love-bread/
Tue, 07 Jan 2014 05:04:40 +0000http://www.ogswp.richardschave.com/blog/i-love-bread/Continue reading "I love Bread"]]>Ah, just thinking about how much I love bread. Not sure why I ever bought into the war on carbohydrates. In the other photo, I am wondering if I have to share this beautiful loaf of challah bread with my family. I did end up sharing because I am a very nice grandma.

Ah, just thinking about how much I love bread. Not sure why I ever bought into the war on carbohydrates. In the other photo, I am wondering if I have to share this beautiful loaf of challah bread with my family. I did end up sharing because I am a very nice grandma.

]]>2101Cutie’s Musical New Year’s Wish 2014http://the-ogs.com/2014/01/01/cuties-musical-new-years-wish-2014/
Wed, 01 Jan 2014 23:19:59 +0000http://www.ogswp.richardschave.com/blog/cuties-musical-new-years-wish-2014/
Pop the cork, darlings. 2014 is going to be the best year yet! But wait, let me sing it to you!

Pop the cork, darlings. 2014 is going to be the best year yet! But wait, let me sing it to you!
]]>2100Royaltyhttp://the-ogs.com/2013/12/30/royalty/
Mon, 30 Dec 2013 07:21:03 +0000http://www.ogswp.richardschave.com/blog/royalty/Continue reading "Royalty"]]>I was in a celebratory mood and decided to break out my old tiara. With the right accessories, you can go from feeling like a regular grandma to feeling like royalty. I love that I don’t take myself too seriously.

I was in a celebratory mood and decided to break out my old tiara. With the right accessories, you can go from feeling like a regular grandma to feeling like royalty. I love that I don’t take myself too seriously.